Indianapolis’ Forces Of Attraction
Mon, Aug 8, 2009
by Drew McManus
I had an intriguing conversation with a colleague over the weekend about the ongoing situation at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) regarding the pros and cons of attracting a new music director. In particular, we were talking about the article by Kathleen McLaughlin in the 8/15/09 edition of the Indiana Business Journal. The article’s tag
A Solution In Search Of A Problem At Indianapolis
Fri, Aug 8, 2009
by Drew McManus
Over the past few weeks, much has been written about the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s (ISO) decision to not renew Music Director Mario Venzago’s contract after August 31, 2009. Although the sensitive phrase “not renew” was how the ISO described the decision, others across traditional and new media platforms have described it in less genteel language
From Reflection To Relevancy: Part 2
Thu, Aug 8, 2009
by Drew McManus
In Part 1 we examined how the Grant Park Music Festival (GPMF) is using an institutional history publication to not only document the organization’s 75 year history, but how it can serve as an effective tool for defining how a performing arts organization grows and interacts with the community. Today’s final installment will look at
From Reflection To Relevancy: Part 1
Wed, Aug 8, 2009
by Drew McManus
Throughout the business, soul searching seems to be all the rage these days as orchestra stakeholders attempt to justify an institution’s value to the community and the art form in the wake of declining audience numbers and diminished public status. Typically, this process eventually manifests into some sort of institutional visioning and/or strategic planning process,
Accountability, Performance Reviews, and Planning
Tue, Aug 8, 2009
by curtlong
Welcome Back! Yesterday, we talked about trying to raise money after the concerts are done. Today I want to focus in on accountability, performance reviews, and tactical planning. One topic I hear a lot about in the orchestra world is accountability. In a very obvious way, musicians are accountable every time the orchestra plays. They
Raising Money When The Concerts Are Done
Mon, Aug 8, 2009
by curtlong
Hello all! I’d like to start by thanking Drew for inviting me to participate. I’ve known Drew online for many years, going back to a series of animated but friendly discussions about Executive Director compensation right here at Adaptistration. I was happy to meet Drew in person for the first time recently at the League
Orchestral Acoustics 101: Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics
Fri, Aug 8, 2009
Christopher Blair – full time acoustician, part-time conductor, last time blogger. We come to Friday and the end of Drew’s absence from these pages. I have really enjoyed my time here (Thanks, Drew for providing this forum!) and look forward to possible future exchanges. This being my last day, I thought I’d try something different
Orchestral Acoustics 101: Beware the Seductive Model
Thu, Aug 8, 2009
Christopher Blair – full time acoustician, part-time conductor, 4th time blogger. Before anyone gets excited, I am talking about acoustical models here (sigh), but even these can produce dangerous results.
Orchestral Acoustics 101: Avery Fisher Hall
Wed, Aug 8, 2009
What went wrong, and how to fix it Christopher Blair – full time acoustician, part-time conductor, 3rd time blogger. “For me the evening can’t end soon enough. I head back to my hotel with a splitting headache triggered by the blare of the orchestra and that spot in the Mahler where a percussionist strikes a
Orchestral Acoustics 101: Vineyard vs. Shoebox
Tue, Aug 8, 2009
Are visual intimacy and sonic-envelopment mutually exclusive? Christopher Blair – full time acoustician, part-time conductor, 2nd time blogger. Following up on our previous discussion of acoustic conditions for orchestral players, comes a discussion of the two most popular ways of arraying the audience for concerts, along with the acoustical and visual advantages and disadvantages typically
